So I was driving along when the car in front of me started to brake. I was a good/safe distance away, but then I realised they were actually turning.
It was wet conditions and lights were on, but the indicator was so bloody small that I couldn't believe it.
Had me thinking, what other vehicles have horrible indicator/signal designs?
I think the car in question was a Kia Stonic. (Definitely a Kia of some kind)
Came here for this.
BMWs have indicators?
Yeah but it is not mandatory to use them.
Too fast for the cars behind. Not even needed.
it's a paid option
Optional via subscription.
Never subbed by buyers.
That's a battery-related fire. The battery is behind the rear bumper where it aids weight distribution
All European cars have the indicator on the left hand side…..
But do they have stiff stalks?
@[Deactivated]: No they have soft stalks, tap for 3 turn signals. Theyre only hard if you need to keep them on, but as a BMW driver you should have made your mind and completed your lane change within the 3 indicator flashes anyways.
@ATangk: 3 blink signal is only useful for changing lanes where there's no traffic. Anything where you need it on for longer it's not helpful.
I use 3 blink for changing lanes fine, i said only issue is when switching signals ALL the way up or down.
@[Deactivated]: In 98% of cases where you need to switch all the way up or down, youre already sitting in a dedicated turn lane. Or just tap it 3 turns before you actually turn. I don't get why you're making excuses for poor driving behaviour anyways, just because you think its hard to do that doesnt mean you dont have to.
youre already sitting in a dedicated turn lane
So you're saying I don't ned to indicate in this case? Isn't that poor driving behaviour?
Also when you're making a turn off a street I liked to indicator much earlier than 3 blinks to warn cars behind me.
So BMW drivers are just lazy then?
My next 2 cars probly audi and benz so let's see how stiff they are too
@[Deactivated]: @ragretz No doubt referring to this lovely piece of insanity: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/273269
No, just limp-wristed apparently.
Not lazy just efficient.
I can tell you the reason BMW drivers have this stigma is that BMW indicator stalks are very STIFF compare to my previous car.
That's not true at all. Also how weak would you have to be that an indicator stalk was too stiff for you.
What do you mean not true at all?
I'm saying from my personal experience going from Toyota to BMW, probably 3 times extra force needed to switch the indicator all the way up or down.
@[Deactivated]: I've owned and driven many many different vehicles, and have never had one that I noticed needed significantly more force than any others. That's what I mean by not true at all. Also, even if that were the case, it's no excuse to not use indicators, and is not why BMW drivers don't use them.
dont like indicating as much with this stiff as indicator stalk on my bmw compared to toyota.
Are you 106 years old? I have never seen someone claim that an indicator stalk is too stiff.
then why?
They think because they own a BMW, they are the only people that matter, so indicating is pointless, as it doesn't affect them personally.
Are you 106 years old? I have never seen someone claim that an indicator stalk is too stiff.
Literally I have driven many different cars from family and rental cars on holiday trips. Never had this issue.
They think because they own a BMW, they are the only people that matter, so indicating is pointless, as it doesn't affect them personally.
I've had more issues from bogans drivers with 20 year old holdens when it comes to indicating.
@[Deactivated]: Maybe if you used your indicators the bogans wouldn't hassle you for being a numpty.
@FireRunner: i haven't avoided using it, i just find it a lot more cumbersome to and can understand why someone else wouldn't
@[Deactivated]: Mabye for the model you have, but I havent found that at all.
Theres no BMW wide stiffness of the stalks.
Late stage muscular dystrophy i'd imagine, and in that scenario you probably shouldn't be operating a motor vehicle
That's because most Euro cars have the three-blink function, which only requires a light tap.
Yes I notcied that, good for changing lanes but bad for turning where you need it on until you turn.
@cashless: I always said it's hard to switch it ALL the way. the 3 blink function has no resistance you just do a slight push up or down.
After the obligatory BMW, any with those stupid sequential leds.
I HATE them!!! I mean REALLY hate them. They are road rage fodder. Bastards….
I’m in danger….🤠
I have a new Patrol. The thing is a monster car with those sequential led indicators about a foot long up high in everyone’s face. They even irritate me if I see them.
Hard to miss though……..
They're illegal in the US apparently as their law states there needs to be a minimum amount of lights showing when activated. Where these obviously start on the smallest illumination and grow. I thought that was silly, but maybe there's something to it.
"The US" is a clusterf**k of 50 states with 50 different road rules & car guidelines. I think there are some national minimums but many states will slap a roadworthy on anything, and some don't even require one.
End result is massive inconsistency and legal things like having LED bulbs in reflector housings, blinding oncoming drivers etc. Perfectly legal.
I also know a lot of US cars don't even have orange indicator lights.. they just make one side of the tail light (red) flash. Terrible.
This is true. Audi in the US, for example, has appended another LED into their taillights to accommodate for the lack of minimum light during a sequential motion in their factory tails.
welp!, i added these to my golf. sequential tail, mirror and headlights. They are big and obvious though. More visible than the stock ones for sure.
Why would you do this? It's just a load of wank.
i like to wank?
If he wants to customize his car and make it more visible while indicating then what's the issue?
Not like he's blacked out his tail lights or something.
The actual sequential LEDs (multiple LEDs flowing), or the alternating module (2 LEDs alternating on/off)? I’ve seen the latter and it’s so weird you can’t tell if indicating left or right.
Actual sequentials. Never heard of those alternating ones. Sounds terrible.
Yes. 100% agree. They are terrible. I cannot believe they are legal
urrrghhh, good to know I'm not the only one who thinks those are annoying.
If someone had described them to me verbally I'd probably think it was a bit cool but seeing them it's just … annoying. I can't put my finger on it, they just do. Like a pointlessly slow animation, "just because".
to me, they are incredibly tacky looking - even the ones you can see with individual LED lights - just looks like a cheap kids toy. The ones which look fluid (ie can't see each LED light, don't look as bad, but still so wanky.
It'd be a dealbreaker for me if I was buying a car and couldn't switch the sequential setting to OFF so the whole lot turns on and off at once.
They only indicate how large the car loan is.
Sequential indicators are reminiscent of emergency services in South-East Asia so they remind me of an ambulance.
Having said that I did put sequential indicators on my Mustang with red USDM (illegal) tail lights before I sold it. It would’ve looked weird with ADM tail lights, Red > Red > Amber, as opposed to USDM Red > Red > Red.
Wish they'd outlaw them as too distracting and less immediately obvious intent.
Anything euro.
Just cause LED's are brighter (doesnt mean better) doesnt mean they need to make them microscopic - look at some blinkers/taillights/headlights on modern cars.
I was behind a couple of the new Volvo 4WD the other night, and neither of them had rear lights while driving.. could have been a coincidence, but I was thinking surely they would have auto sensing lights
Don't Volvo's have parker and tail lights on by default ie. You can't even override it?
Only models aimed at the domestic market (Norway Sweden) where it s mandatory to drive with the lights on even during the day
Yes, was driving behind a brand new Volvo S60 a few months back on the highway, just after dusk and their rear lights were not on. Did not help that the car was dark grey either, it just blended into the tarmac. Made sure to keep my distance.
Must just be the pre 2000 beaters
They do have auto headlights, but it’s a setting on the switch; Off, on, auto. So you can easily turn them off and forget to turn them back on.
Idiots using driving lights - which don't turn on the tail lights. They're fine, they can see you….
Anything with pencil thin sweeping indicators that look like they were designed by some desk monkey who has never driven in inclement weather.
This! I find Audi have them. Useless.
My vision is 20/20 just incase anyone wants to point that out 😂
Good point
Good point
NOPE!
Looks like a fat, oversized point but is it is called a Pilcrow or typographical character marking the start of a paragraph. :-|
;-P
I said my vision is good. Not my speling. Any more advise?
Any more advise?
Advice?
My vision is 20/20 I said my vision is good. Any more advise?
20/20 does not mean perfect vision, just average. Depending on age, it could mean below average.
Also, 20/20 is American. Most of the world would say 6/6.
People who swap standard rear indicators for exposed LEDs on their motorcycle. I was doing a group ride with Perth street bikes and couldn’t tell when a turn was coming up as the lights couldn’t be seen during the day!!
Or those turn lights that integrate into the brake light that are so close together you cant tell which direction they are turning at any meaningful distance.
Was fun coming across a mustang with a red indicator…
BTW, cars in North America usually have red coloured rear indicators (actually part of the brake lights).
Anyways I do hate the Kia Sportage (or maybe Hyundai Kona I think?) inditators but for the opposite reason. Because they are mounted very low and as a seperate unit from the brake lights, sometimes the view of the indicators is blocked when in traffic.
That American blinker thing blows my mind. Just like refusing to mass-adopt the metric system, or reconsider the gun culture. Yes, your independent and FU attitude are awesome and what make you great, but these examples show that sometimes it just becomes cutting the nose to spite the face.
BTW, cars in North America usually have red coloured rear indicators (actually part of the brake lights).
That was one of the things I hated most about visiting the USA. I also don't think I've ever seen so many cars that didn't have a rear wiper.
But yeah, besides the haphazard array of various types of blinkers, standardisation in the USA is generally a (profanity) with all the states too.
As an owner of the Sportage, I can confirm they are awful, I don't know how I overlooked that… They look so ugly that I try to not even think about them.
US regs require that an indicator and a brake light can't be solely on a moving part ie the hatch opens and anything on that moving part has to be repeated somewhere. It's rot like red turn signals lol
Newish honda civics that permanently have orange side lights on. Can't believe some idiot approved it for Australian roads.
Yep, dunno why you need clearance lights on that, very distracting.
They are about as sexy as a boat trailer so there is that
This this this! Every time I see one I wonder how that was approved.
BMWs obviously.